With the huge array of tea brands and varieties available these days, it might at first appear that finding exactly what you want would be quite easy. The truth of the matter is this: there are so many brands to choose from that the decision can become overwhelming!

Here are a few criteria that I focus on when seeking a great tea: freshness, flavor, packaging. I find that freshness is the most important of all criteria, when tea and herbs are fresh, they are more aromatic and flavorful. There are two keys to freshness, packaging and vertical integration of the company providing the teas.

Determining whether a package keeps teas fresh is easy. Tea and herbs packed in foil/poly or foil/saran packets or sealed canisters are usually kept very fresh within. Tea and herbs packed in paper over wraps or sold from bulk bins can be a bit less than fresh, often just plain stale.

Vertical integration is a bit more difficult to determine. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of it, many tea and herb companies are really not tea and/or herb companies at all, they’re marketing companies. There are a few out there though, that actually grow and package the products they sell, Shangri La Tea Company is one of these, so is Walters Bay, both are Sri Lanka/India firms with US presence and both have excellent teas. Other companies also do this, Ineeka teas come straight from the garden too. Rishi teas brings their leaf in themselves as do several other tea companies.

This is not to say that these are the only companies with fresh teas, there are others out there that buy and package fresh teas. Read labels, look at the packaging and ask questions, check out websites to determine who’s who in the tea industry, ask questions, and examine the teas you purchase.

Fresh teas are certainly the best beginning but correct steeping of teas is important too. Especially if you are to obtain excellent results in the cup. Another key factor is fresh spring water.
Let’s take a moment to consider the water used in steeping tea. Spring water, fresh and containing some natural minerals and a bit on the hard side (100ppm or so) steeps the best teas. Be sure not to use reverse osmosis water or water that has been boiled for more than a few seconds.

Many find that boiling water for tea in electric kettles is most convenient, and it probably is. Unfortunately, almost all electric kettles bring water to a rolling boil and therefore must be watched carefully as, once a rolling boil is reached, allowing the water to continue boiling can cause oxygen depletion and ‘flatten’ the life of the water. This is not desirable as it steeps lifeless teas.

Boiling water on the stove in a nice clean kettle allows one to arrest the water at the desired temperature. This allows for the greatest level of control and assures that the water is not ‘overly boiled’.
Generally speaking, the temperatures suggested for tea steeping are somewhat as follows (Fahrenheit):
Black Teas = 208º
China Green Teas = 190º
Japan Green Teas = 170º
White Teas = 170º

In China, origin of teas, water for tea is often boiled in kettles that can be peeked into by opening the lid. The water temperature is determined by the bubbles that rise from the bottom of kettle as follows:

170º (+ -) water is called ‘fish eyes’ as there are small bubbles at the bottom of the kettle that resemble ‘fishes eyes’.

190º (+ -) water is called ‘string of seed pearls’ as at this stage the bubbles rise to the top of the kettle in tiny strings, resembling a ‘string of seed pearls’

208º (+ -) water is called ‘string of large pearls’, the bubbles rise to the top of the kettle in large strings, resembling a ‘string of large pearls’

212º water (rolling boil) is called ‘ruined water’.

Once you get used to your kettle, you can determine these stages of water simply by listening to the kettle.

The next thing to consider when steeping tea is the amount of water used. Generally, 2.2 grams of tea per 5 ounces of water works quite well. Weighing the tea assures that you use the proper amount. The old adage of one teaspoon per cup is great if you steep only black teas that have mid sized leaf, but for green and white teas, yellow and oolongs, this adage does not hold true.

Now comes the important decision of just how long to steep your teas. Certainly this crucial decision will hinge upon personal preference, how much caffeine you wish to transfer into your liquor and what the you are steeping. Again, as a generalization I would suggest never steeping teas longer than 6 minutes. For stronger tea, use more tea, do not increase the steeping time over 6 minutes.

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